Standing Near the Cross: Wanda Bicknell
Proverbs 31:10, 12 (NLT)
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”
Last week I introduced you to this new blog series entitled, Standing By The Cross. John 19:25 introduces us to three women that stood near the cross of Jesus. The Bible says, “But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” To be clear, standing by the cross is simply a way of reminding us to draw near to God in faith. The scripture is full of godly people from whom we can learn some important life lessons, just like the strong faith of the women we find standing near the cross.
The five women I introduced you to last week are each standing by the cross of Jesus. Today, let’s take a closer look at one of those women. Her name is Wanda Bicknell and I feel quite honored to tell you that she is Gina’s mom, my mother-in-law. And for you to know, Proverbs 31 describes her perfectly!
Proverbs 31:10 begins with a question, who can find a virtuous woman? And the remaining part of the chapter answers that question. Mrs. B, as I call her, is a picture of Proverbs 31. I want to focus on one particular word that describes Mrs. B; she is prepared! When I married into the family nearly 35 years ago, I realized quickly that Mrs. B was the picture of being prepared. First she was always prepared as a wife and mother. Not only was their home a beautiful home that was always kept clean and tidy, it was a home ready for her husband and children. Even with a full time job, their home was always a place that was ready for whatever was coming next. She stayed ahead on the calendar, always ready for what each day had planned. She never seemed to be in a panic, but carefully and methodically, carried out plans so that each person was always ready for their day.
She is always redeeming the time so as to accomplish all that she has on her shoulders. Curtis, my father-in-law, regularly bragged about her preparedness. On one particular occasion, she asked if I would help move some things in their attic. I don’t know about you, but for most people, attics are full of old junk, much of what needs to be thrown out or given away. But not this attic; it was perfectly arranged. She knew exactly where everything was and could locate it in seconds. She has always been prepared. I can also remember the wedding planning for Gina and I, it was perfect, down to the exact moment we were to exit the building.
Proverbs 31:19 - 21 says, “Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.” This is a perfect picture of Mrs. B! Her household was always ready for each day. And so was her classroom!
Mrs. B was a second grade teacher for many, many years. And she was one of the most loved teachers in the school. The children in her classroom, their parents, her fellow teachers and the school administrators all loved and admired Mrs. B. She loved each child and was ready to help learn and love Jesus. I have heard of many children who came to a saving faith of Jesus while they were in her class. And today, she prays for her grandchildren and great grandchildren every day and shares the love of Jesus with them at every opportunity!
Christmas 2022
Think, again, about vs. 20, “She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. There is a ministry in midtown Memphis that serves lower income families. For years, Mr. and Mrs. B would regularly go there and share the love of Jesus. That meant sharing the gospel with those who came to the ministry, sharing biblical truth about a situations in their lives, and serving however they were needed. In every area of her life, she is standing by the cross.
Perhaps the thing that she is most prepared for however, is eternity. Mrs. B has a deep, vibrant, loving walk with Jesus Christ. She loves Jesus personally and walks with Jesus daily. She is still growing in her faith, is prepared to meet Jesus, and is prepared to take as many with her as she can. Each day I hear Gina, my wife, on the phone with her. They may be talking about scripture verses, sermons and messages, and books they are reading. And all of those conversations are centered around Jesus. Even today, she is growing in her faith.
Today, Mrs. B is adjusting to a new way of life; a life without Mr. B. A few months ago at age 93, he stepped from this life to eternity with Jesus. For many people, that would be devastating, perhaps even to a point where they could not recover. But not Mrs. B! While I know she misses Curtis immensely, she still loves Jesus, cares for her daughter and son, loves her grandchildren, and is preparing for what God has next. I suppose you would say that she is standing by the cross, walking in the Spirit, waiting for her next assignment from God, grieving with hope and trusting God for what He has planned. Her life is a testimony to faithfulness and stewardship. All she has belongs to Jesus; she sees herself only as a steward.
I suspect that some of you have a few life hurts you are dealing with also. I encourage you to use Mrs. B’s testimony as an example to draw near to God; He will certainly draw near to you!
Be sure you tune in next week as I introduce you to another special lady in my life that is standing by the cross, my daughter-in-law, Kaitlin Smith. And men, don’t forget about that note I encouraged you to be writing to your wife or your own mother for this upcoming Mother’s Day!